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Have you seen the Final Destination movies? In the last two months, let's say I feel a bit hunted by bad luck. Back on my 2018 season and especially the last two months that have not missed adventures...
Season start: Mexico -> Tour of Morocco
Following the last season, I had identified some important points to work on; my position and do more top-level races. I started my season in Aguascalientes again. I had the privilege of riding with Adam Roberge, Julien Gagne, Antoine Fabry, Michel Jean to name a few. I met with a first bike fit expert in Colorado in February with big changes on the bike; saddle height and setback as well as wedge/shim positions. Then, an opportunity to race Tour of Morocco in April came up and I jumped on it. 10 days of UCI 2.2 races in Africa, with a high caliber field. Right in my goals. Immediately, I planned a block of track/road preparation for this event. Everything went smooth and I was heading to the Tour du Maroc in excellent physical condition despite no race day.
I could write a lot about the Tour du Maroc. In summary, it was a beautiful experience. I was particularly pleased with my form, however, it was not a race conducive to my qualities. The Italian team Willier was present with their sprinter Jakub Marecko in preparation for the Giro. As a result, most of the stages were boring, all controlled for massive sprints where it was very difficult to play my cards without a lead-out train ... On the other hand, with a little more knowledge about the race and not having missed the "big" breakaway of the second stage which took 21minutes, a top 10 in the overall standings would have been possible.
Québec -> Back in tandem with Daniel
Following this Tour, I went on with the races of Quebec; Ste-Martine, GP Contrecoeur, Lachine, GP Charlevoix, etc. Racing with "race days" in the legs when others do not, it's almost cheating to see how this provides an undeniable advantage. With goals in tandem with Daniel, later in the season, I decreased training load between races and I bet on a participation in the Tour de Beauce to get the fitness back. It was, therefore, a great disappointment not to participate. A problem of communication ... Anyway, the return with Daniel was convincing. We rode well at the Canadian championships (2x 1st) and with a good little "tapper" we also did well at the Emmen World Cup (5th in the time trial, in the breakaway in the road race).
After Emmen, we already had the Maniago World Championships in sight, four weeks later ... Trans-Atlantic travels are not easy. We lose training days and we accumulate fatigue. In short, our preparation for Maniago was not at all optimal, but under the circumstances, we had no other alternatives. Following the injury of Daniel, the previous season, we had to "deserve" our place. The first days in Maniago, I felt good, maybe too much, we were going at 55kmh on some sections of the course without too much effort ... The course was very fast and paired with the heat, the average speeds promised to be very high. Dressed in ice jackets, we went to the start ramp with confidence. We caught another tandem quite quickly. In the end, we finish the time trial 15th at 2min21 of the British and Dutch at the same time. At the time, we were very disappointed, because in Emmen, we were much closer to the podium, but we also quickly relativized. The course was flat and without any technical difficulties. In Emmen, for example, we took between 1-3 sec on most tandems in curves ... 
A day off later was the road race on the same course. The race started very quickly, as is often the case. I was content to follow the best and save our strength. The Spaniards left in the second lap, immediately followed by the best Polish tandem. I thought about going, but I held back because there was no Dutch tandem among them. Indeed, they have played bad luck with punctures or other problems. In short, the rest of the race was an endless chase behind the two breakaways. On the last lap, I had cramps and got dropped in the hill. Subsequently, I played a little bluff with the two Polish tandems that accompanied us by wanting to let them work to return and then play the last place on the podium, but they were cooked too. At the end of the race, it also started to rain and so I took extra care in the last corner on cobbles. We finished 7th in a photo finish sprint for the sixth position. In short, a nice comeback for me and Daniel. I could not remember the last time I had cramps, but neither the last time I had my heart rate so high for more than two hours ...
Matapédia and Baie Commeau
After Maniago, we had a last world cup in Baie Comeau, a few days later. No longer having the pressure to perform, I took the risk of racing the Matapedia GP. Michel organizes a great race and my intuition was that I needed to race to improve my physical condition. The day after my arrival, I headed to the Gaspésie for a week of camping at the sports center. I did not expect to have good legs and as in fact, the race was difficult for me, especially being marked as if I had (legs). It finished four days before the Baie Comeau time trial. For my part, I made the road on Tuesday while Daniel made the trip with these parents a day later. The day after my arrival, I made the reconnaissance of the course alone in tandem and the sensations were very good.
The time trial went very well. A last-minute mechanical problem, still unexplained to this day, meant that we opted for a different choice of wheels for the race. We went with our Enve with cassette 11-28 and we stayed on the big ring all the race, even to pass the 500m steep hill with passages of 10-12%. I remain convinced that it worked in our favor. Indeed, in tandem, we often tend to use a lot the transmission to climb, but sometimes it is better to clench your teeth and go all-out. We finished 3rd, 4sec from silver and 1min13 of the British, a nice surprise. Two days later, we were still doing well and finish 6th at the road.
Track Nationals goal
My commitments in tandem being done for the summer, I started my preparation for my second goal of the season; track championships. Last year had not been as I wanted with a virus caught the day before the races and so this year, I wanted to get back firmly. It was exactly 6 weeks and as I had touched the track periodically during the season, I started with a good speed base. I put the emphasis on a preparation to perform in pursuit, but more so in the mass start events, in order to win the omnium. I multiplied the training with my coach, Eric in Bromont, often with a motorcycle to generate more speed and I was doing about 2-3 sessions/week on computrainer to raise my cp4.
The training was going very well, and at 2 weeks of the championships, in just 4 weeks, I had raised my cp4 from 476 to 490w (tested tired), close to my best numbers, which gave me confidence. Unlike the previous year, I took the Zacapu Classic from Mexico out of my program because there were too many imponderables to my liking. The only attractive point being the possibility of maybe winning part of the 500,000 pesos at stake, I decided to play it safe and continue my preparation at home. Ironically, two days later, this is where the bad luck struck for the first time. I went for an active recovery on the Lévis side with Michel Jean where I slipped on a bad mix of white paint freshly redone (there were plenty of micro glass beads). I slipped as if it was ice, broke several pieces of equipment, but mostly hit the hip heavily. The days that followed and until the championships, I had to cut a lot my training load and take an anti-inflammatory to ride. I still took part in the championships, but I was not able to perform at my full potential against a strong Canadian level that continues to raise every year in track cycling. In the end, I finished 6th at the omnium ...
Cycling "holidays"
Back in Quebec, finally rid of anti-inflammatory, I took a last minute ticket for a race in Tobago with a former teammate, Emile Abraham. My bike did not follow and I raced the first stage with a bike and shoes/pedals on loan ... Those who have already lived the experience will know that the race was difficult. As it was an omnium, we could DNF and still race the next day. My bike finally arrived the next day ... and this 20min before the presumed time of departure! I was at customs dressed in cycling kit and the typical "late islands time" allowed me to arrived in time, build the bike and race. In the rush, my front wheel that already had some air was not re-inflated. Once in the race, I quickly felt it and took care to keep the weight on the back of the bike during the race. It was good to ride my own bike. It was a mountainous stage, but I had a lot of rhythm with the track and a lot of gas. I did a lot of work for Emile and he finished second in the stage and climbed to the 2nd position at the GC as well. After the race, I was amazed that my front wheel was only 20psi. I would have probably stopped the race having known, but I had glued myself stick the hose and so I knew very well that it would never take off.
The next two stages were criteriums. Being away at the GC, I worked for my teammates and focused on the final day, a road race around the island. Normally UCI 1.2, this race is very demanding. Armed with my 11-32, I had a good race. The race in Tobago is truly unique, it requires a wide range of qualities. You have to be a good climber, excellent in descents, enduring and know how to resist the heat ... From the first big hill (Speyside 2km at 9%), the yellow jersey and the other Colombian climbers dropped everyone. I climbed at my pace at around 380-400w. We already had about 80km in the legs and to tell the truth, I did not have any great legs following the last four days of races. Anyway, over the next 70km, I kept my rhythm and catch many. After Speyside, it was a series of small and long climbs equally difficult; 1km at 15%, 1.2km at 10%, 3km at 11%, 1.7km at 8.2% and a last softer one of 5km at 6%. In the last descent, I caught the yellow jersey and his teammate. I then dropped them. At the end of the descent, the yellow jersey was still close and he managed to get back on me. It was now 15km flat and we were 4th on the road. While taking turns, his teammate "curiously" reappeared ... A few kilometers later, I started to cramp and so I concentrated on the sprint, which I finally got surprised by the start the other cyclist. I was still very satisfied with this 5th place, in a race of 120km particularly tough with its 3500m of elevation ...
Tour de Singkarak
Back in Quebec, I wanted to extend the season. I was invited to the Tour de Singkarak in Indonesia with Procyclinstats and then there was the Vuelta Michoacan that I could do with my own team. So I continued intensities on computrainer and outdoor rides despite a rather cold autumn.
After three days of travel; Quebec -> Montreal -> Tokyo -> Kuala Lumpur -> Padang I joined Stephen Van der Zwan, the guy behind the platform Procyclingstats.com for which we would race. The first day, I rode my bike, saw some monkeys and ate at the restaurant for almost nothing. The bike ride ended in a rainstorm, which I was going to learn was quite normal as it was rainy season. The next day we moved to the official hotel, met my teammates and rode again in the rain!
The first 140km stage from Bukkitingi to Sijunjung was nervous from start to finish. Over the miles, everything indicated a sprint finish. The German Bike Aid team set a good tempo and was keeping the only two riders with a small gap. For my part, I felt good and started thinking about sprinting. The fast pace of the last kilometers combined with the narrow streets were perfect conditions for me since it allowed me to stay in the front and participate in the sprint without a lead-out. It was necessary, however, to remain on the lookout. In the last kilometer, I began to believe it and towards the end, I could not stop smiling when I saw the majority of cyclists launch their sprint too early ... The signs of 200 and 150m were actually at 400-350m. My pleasure was very brief! Suddenly, the cyclist on my right fell just ahead of me. I thought he had fainted because it was so unrealistic. (I later learned that this chain had broken in full sprint) In short, I had no room for maneuver and could not avoid falling myself ... The consequences were relatively ok for me with more or less deep burns, but a good sore ribs. The other fallen riders all either abandoned on injury or abandoned the next day. Equipment side, my big ring was folded in two, but BikeAid graciously lent me one for the rest of the Tour.
I was obviously disappointed, but the tour was just beginning and given my feelings at this stage, I was confident to be able to make a result by the end of the tour. The reality was different. The 170-200km stages that followed combined with the mandatory aches of a high-speed crash and the heavy daily rains made my life hard. Almost never riding under the rain, I developed cuts and no matter how much shammy cream I was using, the only remedy was to let the skin heal and so I stopped after stage 7. The race in Mexico had been moved a day earlier, so I thought that another day of rest would not hurt me.
Vuelta Michoacan
Arrived in Mexico, I was, of course, tired of the long trip, but happy to find my teammates under the colors of Quebexico. The night was relatively short since there was a presentation of the teams the day before and some logistics to organize. When I saw the promotional posters of the event featuring Clément Ouimet, I dreamed of winning a stage in his memory.
The first stage, 172km long, was difficult. More than 2000m altitude and altitudes around 2000m-2600m. The first 40km were flat. After some attempts of breakaways, we approached the first hills on the 40th km. The misty atmosphere was spectacular. Usually, I put the stage profile on my Garmin, but like the day before we ran out of time, I knew the profile only very roughly. I let go the first attacks, preferring to go conservative because of the altitude.
After the first mountain pass, we could still see the second group in front. Some teams were chasing. Only a few miles of flat and then we went up again. I was still feeling good so I accelerated to join them. Despite the altitude of 2500m, I pushed a good pace of 380w. Two riders from Team Medellin and another from Dym followed me and we made the junction with the group in a short time at around km 65. All was well, however, at the next and last long pass (5km to 6% ), the climbers made the start of the climb up my limit and I started to lack oxygen. No problem, I had tried. It's never easy to perform at altitude without acclimatization. A few kilometers later, a group of fifteen cyclists joined me and from that moment, my game plan was to finish the stage quietly in the wheels and aim for the next stage.
Now, imagine this, we just went through the main difficulties and we start a long descent to the finish. Suddenly, I see a water bottle fly in the air very high. We are going 70-80kmh, I'm the last of the group. No time to react, it comes straight in the spokes of my front wheel. I am thrown violently on the asphalt. I barely have time to protect my head, I bang my elbow, head, all the front of my body. On the ground, I scream in pain, I'm not able to move. Victor and Lupe, our staffs were right behind and come to assist me right away. I immediately ask for the ambulance.
20min later, the ambulance arrives with a first aid kit thinking of a quick fix. I told him right away in Spanish, I want to go to the hospital immediately and some painkiller. During the trip, he tries to give me an intravenous pain reliever, but my body is cold and in shock. He finally injects me an intra-muscular who in my memory did not help me in any way. When he touches my elbow, I feel the same pain as in 2015 and realizes immediately that it is broken. I am so very sad and angry. I already know everything that awaits me. In the hours that followed, I was finally connected to an IV and I see the orthopedist. The operation is a success and I wake up shortly before the beginning of the night. I am given some morphine and the next day I am released in the late afternoon and transferred by ambulance to the hotel in Morelia where I spent the following days in bed. Long and painful days; discussion with insurance, change of dressings, etc. Hematomas continue to appear and let's say that I'm happy to have had a thick shammy!
Back in Quebec, I am now focusing on my healing. For having already lived the same experience, I know that I must be patient and that I will have to do 8-12 months of physio for 20-30min / day to get back 90% of range of motion. It's part of the sport, as they say...
At the time, I told myself that I had definitely enough and stopped the competition, but I will give myself a little time before deciding anything. My passion for the sport is always so strong, but I must admit that 3 good crashes in a short time, pushes me toward reflection.
I must thank all the people who helped me there; Lupe, Victor, my teammates, among them Michel Jean who himself fell sympathetically two days after mine! Also, I must emphasize the assistance received by the race organization and the government of Michoacan. My insurance would have wanted me to fly in the days following the accident to have the surgery in Quebec. In my condition, I do not see how I would make the trip. They seemed to forget that in addition to my elbow I had lost a lot of skin and could hardly walk to get to the bathroom and eat. In short, a good part of my medical expenses was paid by the organization via the Michoacan government. Muchas gracias!
Pictures: myself, Canel's Specialized and Cecufid
